Sunday Planting Project

Here's my project for this Sunday morning. I have this great old wheelbarrow that my youngest son brought home years ago...does he know what his mother likes, or what? The elderly man he was working for said he was going to throw that "rusty old thing" away, so Jason put it in his trunk and gave it to me. Over the years it has held many different plantings...this year I decided to go all pinks and burgundies. The little green gnome hollered at me as I was walking by him, and said he wanted to move into a new home...so I elevated him from under the azalea bush into the wheelbarrow. I think he looks quite happy there...what do you think?? All the new flowers are perennials, so hopefully this group will last for a very long time! Hope you're all having a great weekend...the weather here today has been awesome!! So, getting this posted, and I'm back outside in the sunshine & the breeze for a little while longer. Happy Sunday! *elaine*

Cool Finds

Yard sales...rummage sales...trash piles...and boxes galore at the local thrift! Must be Spring in central Florida...Yeah!!! This is the best time to be in this area of the country. Everyone seems to be cleaning & organizing, and the sale signs are popping up like weeds in my garden! Only got to 2 on Friday morning...had to work, and got caught in road construction that took at least a 1/2 hour off my "shopping" time. One sale was so worth the stop, and made me wish I had been there earlier...all the above goodies set me back a whole $3, and I am loving the sweet little Singer sewing machine!! Found it in a box of junky old curtains, and the guy running the sale said .50 cause it was rusty. I have the shining perfect condition twin to this, including the box, that a friend gave me several years ago. Too cute to pass up! Got some neat pieces of barkcloth, small but I love the colors...and the tablecloth and piping at the same sale. The cute little strainer came from the TS, and as soon as I saw it I knew it had to be a planter. Has a small Penta in it now, and I think it'll look even cuter whe the plant gets a bit bigger. Well...I certainly have rambled on about next to nothing, but at least I'm posting again. Still feeling a bit blah...but am working my way out of it. Hubby & I are heading off to the beach this weekend, and that never fails to recharge my spirit. Have a great weekend. *elaine*

Easter

Just a quick post to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! I've been away from my blog for a couple of weeks...when I saw this beautiful single hibiscus bloom this morning, I knew I had to share it! The plant isn't much to look at...got hit hard by our frosts & freezes...but that single flower is just too pretty. So Happy Easter to all. Hope you're having a special day with family and friends...just don't forget where you hid the eggs!! :o} *elaine*

Bluebird!

Opened my mailbox last night and the sweetest little bluebird came flying out to say hello. Shara, over at Monkeybox, had a "Meme" giveaway awhile back, and this little bluebird is my gift from that. So...thank you Shara! The bird is really sweet and she has already made herself at home on my message board...junk board??... in my really messy "studio"...HAAA!!! I really need to get in here and clean stuff up...I have no room to create, 'cause of all the piles of stuff to create with! I had 2 gals respond to My Meme, and I have all the parts of my creations on my work table...just need to clear a spot so I can actually work on them! I have too much junk...no, wait...one can never have too much junk....right??!!?? LOL Have a great weekend, all *elaine*

Whoops...

In the shuttle post I seem to have loaded the wrong picture for the fuel tank separation...I'll try one more time. sorry...the pictures come up so small, it's hard to see if you have the right one...wish I still had my 30 and 40 year old vision...this 50 stuff is for the birds!! LOL *elaine*

10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1......LIFT OFF!

30 seconds after launch.

3 to 4 minutes after liftoff.

Up, up & away!

Fuel tanks separating from shuttle.

The trail lingers for about 10 minutes.

This is one of the last times I will be able to see this sight from my driveway...lift off of the space shuttle. I've always loved the night launches, and to be able to see it this clearly from my own front yard is very cool! It was a clear night, and the sun was just going down, which is where the orange in the trail is coming from...normally it's all white. God speed, Discovery, safe journey and safely back home again. *elaine* {if you enlarge the pics here, you should be able to see the little white dot that is the shuttle, and even the separation of the external fuel tanks}

Spring is popping out all over!!

Traditional, all over Florida Azalea

Caught a visitor on this magenta bush

Bush that almost died last year due to drought...coming back stronger!

Carolina Jessamine...a weed in Louisiana...but they smell SO good!

One lone Jessamine bloom that landed perfectly in the salmon azalea beneath the pine tree..

Last of the Camelias...this bush was so full in January I had to prop it up!

Spring arrived in full this week. We have had temperatures in the 80's all week, with nights in the high 50's and low 60's! It's been wonderful! Have all the windows thrown open wide, and every window I look out of, I can see a huge splash of Azalea color. The bushes themselves are not a thing of beauty...need to get a bit more serious about trimming when they are finished flowering...but the blooms have been great this year! I have several different colors in the yard, but I think my favorite has to be the deep magenta. My husband bought me 3 of those several years ago, and after almost loosing them to near drought conditions last year, they have rewarded us with fabulous color! so...while my creative mojo seems to be absent, I can at least share some spring color will all of you who are winter weary and ready for green shoots coming up through the snow! Enjoy! *elaine*

Cool Award!!! WooHoo!!!

Good Morning, all! I've been missing for over a week and spent my morning coffee time trying to catch up on all the news fit to blog! Imagine my huge surprise when I clicked over to Cherry's blog...aka Kudzukween...and found she had bestowed upon me this very cool award! Thank you, Cherry! After the last week and a half I've had, this made me smile more than you could know! I know there are some questions I need to answer, and then I have to pick 5 of my faves and pass it on, but I have no time left this morning. I have to take my sweet award and head to off to work...thanking God that I have a job, and that I made it through all the trials and tribulations that came my way last week. So...it's a brand new day, the sun is...or will be soon...shining...{don't like this time change}...and I'm up and ready to tackle whatever comes my way!!! Thank You again, Cherry, for the sweet award...I SHALL return! *elaine*

Monkeybox Junk!!

BIG junk box!!

Just a portion of the cool junk!

This cigar box is loaded with goodies! Letters, and game pieces and strings of rusty hearts...oh my!

Some of the paper goodies!

And look at this awesome name thing Shara did with metal tags, letters and ribbon. Love it!

Finally have a quiet moment to post this...the past week has been insane, and I'm still getting over that cold/flu that hit me me 2 weeks ago. Anyway...on Tuesday I arrived at my mailbox and found the usual bills & junk, but wait...there in the back...is that the key to the parcel box?? Yes it is! Pulled out this BIG box from Shara over at Monkeybox, who had a giveaway in Febrary that I won. Opened it as soon as I got home, and all I can say is WOW...and WOOHOO...and look at all this cool junk! There's fabric, and junk, and old postcards and greeting cards, and junk, and ribbon and embroidered things, and junk and so many cool things to inspire junk creations!! I took several pictures, but they don't even begin to show all the cool stuff! I'm so happy that I won this giveaway...although my hubby was looking at me like I'd lost my marbles...LOL...so Thank You Shara, for all the goodies, and hopefully I'll be posting some cool junk creations very soon! Have a great Sunday! *elaine*

A Gift from Me 2 You!

• I just came across this neat idea on Shara's blog...Monkeybox. Check it out and see if it's something you'd like to do... the first 5 people who respond to this post will get something made by me...it will be my choice, but made specially for you. This offer does have some restrictions & limitations... *what I create will be just for you. *I make no guarantees that you will like it...but I hope you do! *you will receive this item before the end of the year...or sooner *you will have no idea what the item will be, or when you will receive it. The BIG catch is you have to repost this MEME and put together something to be sent out as 5 surprises of your own. These surprises can be anything....a piece of art, a photo. a poem...whatever you like...let your imagination go WILD!!! Now, just in case I have totally screwed this post up by retyping rather than copying & pasting, go check out Shara's post @ http://mydealoftheday.blogspot.com/ As usual, my heart's in the right place, but my PC skills are sometimes lacking!!! :o} so....come on post a comment...oh...and leave me an email address so I can get your snailmail! *elaine*

Missing You, Mom

Last picture of Mom & I ...taken on her 79th birthday...9.27.2002

My mother at 23...she hated her glasses, and her name, and her fuzzy hair...I think she was beautiful and really did not even know it.

Today marks the 6th anniversary of my Mom's passing. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of her, and wish that she was still here. I can look at pictures, and see her face, but after 6 years, I can no longer hear her voice. I miss that voice. I miss my Mom. *elaine*